1. 1 The Keys of the Church

2. 2 Issues raised in Q 81. For whom is the Lord's supper instituted? (Last week) Why does the Reformed church (along with most) exclude children from the Lord’s Table (Today) If the church has the right to exclude, where does this power reside?

3. 3 83. What are the keys of the kingdom of heaven? The preaching of the holy gospel, and christian discipline, or excommunication out of the christian church; by these two, the kingdom of heaven is opened to believers, and shut against unbelievers.

4. 4 Matthew 16:19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

5. 5 The opening and closing: Preaching opens and closes Discipline closes and opens

6. 6 We are saved into a pre-existing church

7. 7 1. Apostles as unique origin Acts 8:17 Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost. 18 And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, 19 Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost. 20 But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.

8. 8 1. Apostles as unique origin Acts 19:5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.

9. 9 2. Apostles propagated a power analogous to own Eph 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.

10. 10 2. Apostles propagated a power analogous to own Acts 14:23 And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed.

11. 11 2. Apostles propagated a power analogous to own

12. 12 3. “Sign and seal” of succession: laying on of hands Acts 6:5 And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch: 6 Whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them. 7 And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.

13. 13 3. “Sign and seal” of succession: laying on of hands 1 Timothy 5:22 Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men's sins: keep thyself pure.

14. 14 3. “Sign and seal” of succession: laying on of hands Notice, ordination is considered part of the ABC’s in Hebrews: Heb 6:1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, 2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.

15. 15 3. “Sign and seal” of succession: laying on of hands 1 Timothy 4:14 Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.

16. 16 The particular church and the universal church are organically related

17. 17 Form and matter correlatively define the church

18. 18 Again: all of this can be summarized very simply: We are saved into a pre-existing, pre- structured church

19. 19 84. How is the kingdom of heaven opened and shut by the preaching of the holy gospel? Answer. Thus: when according to the command of Christ, it is declared and publicly testified to all and every believer, that, whenever they receive the promise of the gospel by a true faith, all their sins are really forgiven them of God, for the sake of Christ's merits; and on the contrary, when it is declared and testified to all unbelievers, and such as do not sincerely repent, that they stand exposed to the wrath of God, and eternal condemnation, so long as they are unconverted: according to which testimony of the gospel, God will judge them, both in this, and in the life to come.

20. 20 Both the (1) teaching/preaching, and (2) sacramental functions (here: the “keys”) were given to the apostles Matthew 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

21. 21 Executive function The Church as holding the charter to preach Not “every Christian a preacher”

22. 22 Executive Function in our Standards M-minister; T-teacher; L –licentiate; O-other

23. 23 The gospel as a “key” (as well as a “mark”) answers problem of the corrupt church that has ordination preaching of gospel provides the “matter”, so that mere ordination (“form”) is not sufficient when PCUSA defrocked Machen, it was throwing the gospel out

24. 24 85. How is the kingdom of heaven shut and opened by christian discipline? Thus: when according to the command of Christ, those, who under the name of christians, maintain doctrines, or practices inconsistent therewith, and will not, after having been often brotherly admonished, renounce their errors and wicked course of life, are complained of to the church, or to those, who are thereunto appointed by the church; and if they despise their admonition, are by them forbidden the use of the sacraments; whereby they are excluded from the christian church, and by God himself from the kingdom of Christ; and when they promise and show real amendment, are again received as members of Christ and his church.

25. 25 Matt 18:15 Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him… 16 But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. 17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.

26. 26 Matt 18:18 Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

27. 27 No church should be recognized unless it can show presbyterial succession But recognize that some will be defective!

28. 28

29. 29 Can be recognized (virtual presbyterial succession) Cannot be recognized (not even virtual presbyterial succession) EpiscopalBoot-strap congregational – CREC and perhaps most independents NE-style congregationalism Those that have separated without just cause – many of the split P’s?